Hot press-forging of an optical body with dynamic constraint by crystal powder

ABSTRACT

A method is disclosed for hot press-forging a normally frangible optically integral crystalline mass (&#34;optical body&#34;) in a closed die, by directly pressing a surface of the mass while it is peripherally surrounded by a crystal powder the amount of which is computed from the deformation ratio desired and the geometry of the die. The crystal powder is compacted by the nonuniformly directed forces transmitted to it by the optical body, and eventually the crystal powder is sufficiently dense so as dynamically to constrain the optical body at its peripheral surface. The dynamic constraint of the optical body while it is being forged is effected in such a way as to permit deformation of the optical body without fracturing it, and, without affecting its optical integrity. Hot press-forging the optical body by peripherally surrounding it with the crystal powder produces a stress environment in which the forces applied in a first stage, to the optical body by the ram of the forging press and, in a second stage, by the crystal powder, are non-uniform both in magnitude as well as in direction. The result is that the optical body may be deformed and forged to obtain a deformation ratio greater than 1.0 so as to obtain a fine-grain structure free of peripheral fissures and &#34;veiling&#34;. Typically, a melt-grown essentially single macrocrystal of an ionic salt or of an optical oxide of magnesium including certain optical mixed oxides such as bismuth germanium oxide, cadmium tungstate and lithium niobate, is hot press-forged while it is surrounded by a crystal powder of the same ionic salt or oxide. A polycrystalline extrudate of a melt-grown macrocrystal may also be hot press-forged in an analogous manner.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

This invention relates to a method for forming a polycrystalline opticalbody which has higher mechanical strength than a melt-grown essentiallysingle macrocrystal, also referred to as a macrocrystal ingot, or simply`ingot`, from which the polycrystalline optical body is derived. By"optical body" I refer to one which is essentially completely permeableto wavelengths in the ultraviolet, or visible, or infrared regions.Strong press-forged normally frangible inorganic crystals are known tobe produced by hot press-forging a melt-grown macrocrystal ingot. By"normally frangible" I refer to easily breakable or readily cleavablemelt-grown ingots such as those of the alkali metal halides, thealkaline earth metal halides and the like, all of which will cleavereadily along crystal planes at room temperature or below, and even atelevated temperatures. Though polycrystalline bodies also shatter,ingots shatter along well-defined crystal planes if the ingots aredropped on to a hard surface. Certain inorganic crystals are notnormally frangible, such as for example, silver chloride, and thisinvention is not directed to such crystals.

Optically integral polycrystalline laser windows, domes and lenses whichare formed from rectangular blanks greater than 20 cm×10 cm, or discsgreater than 20 cm in diameter, must have superior mechanical propertiescompared to those of a single crystal, without sacrificing the singlecrystal's optical integrity. In other words, polycrystalline laserwindows and the like must be optically indistinguishable from the singlecrystal from which they were derived. Often, hot press-forged ingots andextrudates of ingots produce polycrystalline optical bodies havingsuperior optical properties than those of the ingot from which they werederived.

Included among optical bodies are scintillation phosphors which generatelight. Such phosphors may include dopands which are generally ionicsalts. Scintillation phosphors are used for the detection of ionizingradiation in conjunction with a photomultiplier tube in devices rangingfrom simple scintillation counters to sophisticated camera plates formedical use in connection with the analysis of gamma radiation emanatingfrom patients who are injected with specific active isotopes. In a largecamera plate, it is essential that the plate be mechanically strong andresistant to shock. Such strength and shock resistance is provided in apolycrystalline plate derived by hot press-forging a macrocrystal ingot.

Thus, it is known in the art to hot press-forge a melt-grownmacrocrystal ingot of an ionic salt as described in U.S. Pat. No.3,933,970 to Rosette and Packer, the disclosure of which is incorporatedby reference thereto as if fully set forth herein. Though the methoddescribed therein is highly effective with alkali metal halide crystalsof arbitrary size, it is less effective with alkaline earth metalhalides, particularly the halides of calcium, strontium and barium. Itwas found that a deformation ratio in excess of about 2 could only beproduced with a very slow forging if the forged body was to be free ofsurface defects and peripheral fissures.

It was most particularly noticea that ingots of calcium fluoride couldbe hot press-forged as described therein, but upon cooling, the forgedpolycrystalline mass was susceptible to fracture, particularly near itsperiphery, and "veiling" due presumably to internal unrelieved stressesand undesirable dislocations. By "veiling" I refer to generally planarstriations near the surface of the forged body which appear to begenerated by gas bubbles or voids formed as the forged crystal cools toroom temperature. Those skilled in the art are well aware that anapparenty minor surface crack or other flaw ascribed to the hot pressforging process vitiates the usefulness of the press-forged optical bodyas a laser window, or as a camera plate, or for any application wheremechanical strength is a property of critical importance.

To combat the problems of stress cracks and other flaws such as veiling,a prior art process was developed for hot forging macrocrystal in anisostatic pressure environment. In this process, a macrocrystal wasforged in a hot-wall pressure vessel in both oil and gaseousenvironments. Oil was used effectively to about 450° C., whereas gasallowed reaching 600° C., the temperature limit of the pressure vesselwhich was used. Forging was effected at temperatures from 300° C. to600° C. in pressure environments ranging from 5000 psi to as slow as3000 psi. Crack-free crystals were obtained on a reproducible basis byforging at 300° C. or higher when forging was followed by in-situannealing at 600° C. or higher.

Isostatic pressing is conventionally carried out using an isostaticpress which is essentially a pressure chamber filled with a liquid orgaseous medium through which the necessary pressure is applied,essentially uniformly, to a powder held in a bag or other containerwhich is also uniformly deformed. Isostatic pressing is commonly used todensify powder metal or ceramic `preforms` prior to sintering them. Theprocess is particularly used to compress further, and uniformly, adifficultly compressible silicon nitride preform of compacted powderwhich is also bedded in silicon nitride powder, as for example disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 4,071,372. As those skilled in the art will recognize,uniformity of application of the pressing forces to obtain continuousequalization of pressure over the body being pressed, combined withprecise definition of the form which results, is the nexus of isostaticpressing. Neither continuous equalization of applied pressure nor awell-defined shape are obtained in the process of my invention, andneither is necessary or desirable.

It is also known to employ a powder of an inorganic material having highhardness and cleavage as the solid pressure transmitting medium in anisostatic pressing where it is desired to obtain an improved pressuremagnitication ratio so that an ultra-high pressure may be applied to a`preform` embedded in the powder. Such a process is taught in U.S. Pat.No. 4,081,505 but there is no suggestion that the method is used for anypurpose other than densification of the preform. There is no significantchange of shape of the preform, and no change of any dimension of thepreform relative to another of its dimensions. In this patented methodthe preform must be completely enveloped in powder the amount of whichis arbitrary.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method is disclosed for hot press-forging a normally frangible opticalbody which is an optically integral crystalline mass, by applyingnon-uniformly directed forces transmitted in a first stage, directly toa surface of the optical body to be forged, and then, in a second stage,by dynamically constraining the radially outward movement of theperipheral surface of the optical body while it is being forged, with apredetermined amount of a crystal powder peripherally surrounding themass so as to effect a staged deformation of the optical body withoutfracturing it, without affecting its density, and, without affecting itsoptical integrity. By "dynamically" I refer to changing forces exertedby the crystal powder non-uniformly upon the optical body's peripheralsurface, portions of which advance radially outwardly at differentrates. By "crystal powder" I refer to crystals in the size range fromabout 20 microns to about 250 microns.

Typically, a melt-grown essentially single macrocrystal ingot of anionic salt or an oxide of magnesium, or mixed oxides such as bismuthgermanium oxide, cadmium tungstate or lithium niobate, is hotpress-forged. The ingot is placed in a die cavity and surrounded withcrystal powder of an inorganic material having high hardness andcleavage, and more preferably a crystalline powder of the same salt oroxide as the ingot.

The amount of powder used is determined by (a) the geometry of the diecavity in which the ingot and powder are confined, and, (b) thedeformation ratio sought upon completion of the press-forging. The ingotand crystal powder surrounding the ingot are then heated, preferably inan inert atmosphere, to an elevated temperature. While maintaining theingot and crystal powder at this temperature, the ingot is graduallypressed so as to flatten it sufficiently to obtain a deformation ratiogreater than unity (1.0), and preferably greater than 1.2. As thedeformation ratio becomes greater than unity, the crystal powdernon-uniformly transmits forces exerted during press-forging of theingot, and gradually dynamically increases the constraint the powderexerts on the peripheral surface of the ingot, allowing the ingot toundergo a transformation from essentially monocrystalline form to apolycrystalline form, without being fractured.

It is critical in the method of this invention that a change of shape beeffected sufficient to provide a deformation ratio greater than 1.0, andmore preferably in the range from about 1.2 to 10. The deformation ratiois defined as the quotient obtained by dividing the initial height ofthe optical body to be forged, by the final thickness of the forgedoptically integral mass. Without a significant change of shape effectedby altering a particular dimension of the crystalline mass, there is nopress-forging effected.

The resulting press-forged body is a composite having two zones ofpolycrystallinity. Crystal powder is bonded to the peripheral surfacesof the forged optical body which are in contact with the powder due toforces transmitted to the powder confined in the forging die, so thatforces transform the optical body into a polycrystalline compositehaving two zones of polycrystallinity. The first is a central zoneconsisting essentially of a fully dense and homogeneous opticallyintegral polycrystalline salt, separated by an interface from, andperipherally surrounded by the second zone which is not opticallyintegral, and which consists essentially of a cluster of compactedhot-pressed crystals. The interface between the two zones is"free-formed", that is, formed by the particular conditions of pressingfor the particular optically integral crystalline mass surrounded by aspecific quantity of crystal powder, and controlled thereby, varyingfrom one forging to the next. Though the precise location and form ofthe interface are not known until the press-forging is completed, thepresence of the free-form interface is clearly established by thetransition from the first zone which is optically integral, to thesecond zone which is not. A melt-grown macrocrystal or a polycrystallineextrudate of a melt-grown ingot may each be hot press-forged in ananalogous manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In its preferred embodiments this invention is directed to hotpress-forging either an essentially single macrocrystal ingot(hereinafter `ingot` for brevity) of a normally frangible optical oxideor ionic salt, or a polycrystalline body derived by extruding such aningot. By "optical oxide" I refer to magnesium oxide, cadmium tungstate,bismuth germanium oxide, lithium niobate, and the like used to makeoptical bodies. Extrusion of an ingot of an ionic salt is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 3,767,748; a polycrystalline extrudate is disclosed incopending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 215,732 filed Dec. 12, 1980;and multiple extrusion of an ingot is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.4,044,082; and all these disclosures are incorporated by referencethereto as if fully set forth herein.

Whether the body to be forged is an ingot or an extrudate, it is acrystalline mass which is optically integral. Such a body is hereafterreferred to as "optical body" before it is forged; as "forged opticalbody" after it is forged; and, as "forging body" during the period whenit is being forged because it undergoes a minimum deformation sufficientto give it a substantial change of shape. For the purposes of thisinvention, a properly melt-grown ingot of the alkali metal halides oralkaline earth metal halides, namely, the iodides, bromides, chloridesand fluorides thereof, is optically integral; and so is apolycrystalline optical body derived from such an ingot by extrusion, ifthe body is optically essentially indistinguishable from the ingot fromwhich it was derived. Similarly a properly grown ingot, whethermelt-grown or not, of magnesium oxide, bismuth germanium oxide, cadmiumtungstate or lithium niobate, is optically integral.

This invention is specifically directed to optical bodies which areoptically integral. Optical integrity is exemplified by a properly grownsingle crystal which has as few undesirable dislocations andcharacteristics as reasonably possible. If a properly grown singlecrystal has no better than 70% transmittance in a particular wavelengthrange, it is deemed to be transparent in that range. For example, KRS-5,an alloy of Thi and ThBr has a transmittance of about 70% in the rangefrom about 0.7 micron to about 30 microns; CsI has a transmittance ofabout 85% in the range from about 0.7 to about 30 microns; and CaF₂ hasa transmittance of about 90% in the range from about 0.3 to about 7microns. A crystalline mass of any of the foregoing materials, whethersingle crystal or polycrystalline, is deemed optically integral andtransparent if it meets the criteria for a properly grown single crystalof that material.

The optical bodies of this invention are transparent to at least someportion of the wavelength range from about 0.2 to about 30 microns, andmore specifically to radiation in the wavelength range from about 2 to12 microns. Optical bodies of this invention include those which have anabsorption coefficient of less than about 0.1, and more preferably lessthan 0.01. For example, optically integral CaF₂ has a transmittance ofabout 90% or higher in the wavelength range from about 0.3 to 7 microns,and an absorption coefficient of less than 0.01.

Hot press-forging as practiced in the method of this invention requiresthat (a) the optical body in a closed forging die, be surrounded with acrystal powder having essentially the same coefficient of thermalexpansion as the optical body, and (b) opposite faces of the opticalbody, against which faces forging forces are directed, be essentiallyfree from contact with the crystal powder. Reference to "crystal powder"herein identifies the powder as comprising discrete crystals, oragglomerates of the crystals before the crystals are hot-pressed in theforging die. After the crystals are hot-pressed they form a densecompact referred to as a cluster compact of crystals, which clustercompact is not optically integral but nevertheless has a density whichis generally greater than 98 percent of, and often nearly the same as,that of the optical body.

The method of this invention utilizes a forging force in the directionin which a particular dimension of the body is to be decreased, whichforce generates sufficient pressure to produce the desired decrease atthe forging temperature. The method further utilizes dynamic constraintof the forging body to control the rate of forging and the quality ofthe forged optical body. This dynamic constraint is applied by thecrystal powder upon peripheral surfaces of the optical body, whichsurfaces are inclined at an angle to the direction of the constrainingforces transmitted by the powder from the walls of the die, andpreferably the surfaces are at right angles to the direction of theconstraining forces. With proper dynamic constraint, a forged opticalbody is obtained, surrounded by, and pressure-bonded to the clustercompact of crystals. The forged optical body has a peripheral surfacefree of fissures, and the upper and lower surfaces not in contact withthe cluster of compacted crystals are free of veiling. The shape of theperiphery of the forged optical body is not precisely controlled sincethe interface between the optically integral forged body and thenon-optically integral cluster compact of crystals is established bydynamic constraint forces exerted upon the forging body.

The hot press-forging method of this invention utilizes a closed forgingdie in which (a) direct pressure is exerted by the die's ram and anvilon opposite surfaces respectively, of the optical body, and (b) indirectpressure exerted by the crystal powder peripherally surrounding theoptical body, in the annular space between the body and the walls of thedie. By `direct pressure` I refer to pressure transmitted to the opticalbody by the ram and anvil, each suitably coated with graphite, or othercoating material to protect their surfaces. Such a coating, typically ofgraphite cloth or graphite powder, is so thin as to allow the ram oranvil to be considered to be essentially in solid-to-solid contact withthe surfaces of the optical body. The opposite faces are substantiallyfree from crystal powder.

The method of this invention is practiced as a two-stage forging method.In the first stage, opposite surfaces of the optical body are placed insolid-to-solid contact with the ram and anvil of a closed die,respectively, so that when a forging force is applied, the peripheralsurfaces of the forging body are pressed outwards towards the walls ofthe die. In this first stage the height or thickness of the forging bodyis diminished, and its peripheral surface moves outward because thissurface is essentially unconstrained. Though surrounded by, and incontact with crystal powder, there is no significant radial constrainton the periphery of the forging body during the first stage.

In the second stage, the crystal powder peripherally surrounding theoptical body begins to be compacted by the outward moving periphery ofthe forging body, and the rate of compaction of the powder is controlledby the rate of advance of the periphery of the forging body. As theforging body moves further outward, the crystal powder is furthercompacted and in turn exerts an increasing pressure on the surface ofthe forging body in contact with the powder. When the peripheralpressure is the same as the pressure on the faces in contact with theram and anvil, there is no further movement. At this point the unitpressure per unit area is the same over the entire area of the mass inthe die.

It will now be evident that the method of this invention combinesfeatures of a conventional unconfined forging, and of a conventionalclosed die forging. However, because of the unique staging madepossible, first by the direct pressure exerted by the solid-to-solidcontact of the upper and lower surfaces of the optical body with the ramand anvil of the die, and then, by forces transmitted by the crystalpowder peripherally surrounding the optical body, the combinationprocess is unexpectedly effective to produce a polycrystallinecomposite. In this composite, the central portion is the forged opticalbody which is cut away from the surrounding cluster compact of crystals,and polished for use in a conventional manner. The upper, lower andperipheral surfaces of the forged optical body are essentially free fromundesirable dislocations evidenced as surface or near-surface defectseven when the deformation ratio is in the range from about 1.2 to about10.

One of the chief reasons staged forging with dynamic constraint of theperipheral radially outward moving surface is so effective, is thatdynamic constraint of the forging body compensates for the non-isotropicflow of a hot unmelted normally frangible optical body. Such an opticalbody of a rigid, low-yielding crystalline material has the propensity,common among such bodies, of advancing its peripheral surface toorapidly for the flow of material from around the center of the body to`catch up` in the radially unconstrained first stage of the forgingprocess. This lag of flow of material from the center results infissures propagating from near the periphery of the forging body. Wherethe material at the periphery is physically mechanically weaker than themain body of the forged mass, cavities may occur due to tension at thesurface. Similarly, bubbles or cavities may occur at other locations,generally near the surface of the forged body, and in particular nearthe surfaces in solid-to-solid contact with the ram and anvil. Thesenear-surface defects are also due to unrelieved internal stresses andare evidenced by veiling.

In the second stage of forging, crystal powder surrounding the peripheryof the forging body exerts a pressure at the radially outward movingperiphery, which pressure increases as the periphery moves outward, dueto compaction of the powder. As a result, there is exerted a non-uniformpressure and a dynamic constraint, radially, which gradually increasesuntil it equals the constraint exerted by the ram and anvil of the die.

Thus the two-stage forging process produces a polycrystalline compositehaving a central, forged optically integral body separated by aninterface from a compacted crystal cluster which is not opticallyintegral. It should be noted that there is no functional reason tointerrupt this essentially continuous staged process, but if aninterruption does occur, it will not adversely affect the process.

The temperature at which the press-forging is carried out is preferablywell above room temperature, but is not critical so long as it issufficiently high to preserve the integrity of the surfaces of theforging body. As one skilled in the art will appreciate, forging at roomtemperature is more likely to generate undesirable dislocations thanforging at an elevated temperature below the melting point of theoptical body to be forged. A preferred temperature is that suggested inthe prior art, namely a temperature greater than one-half the meltingpoint measured in degrees Centigrade.

The crystal powder is preferably chosen so that it does not chemicallyadversely affect the optical or physical properties of the optical body.Since the pressure exerted by the ram will ordinarily be in the rangefrom about 1000 psi to about 5000 psi and may be as high as 10,000 psior higher depending upon the optical body and the temperature at whichit is forged, the preferred crystal powder is of an inorganic materialwhich is not easily crushed, such as Al₂ O₃, MgO, ZrO₂, TiO₂, TiC, WCand the like. It is most preferred to use a powder of the same materialas the optical body though it is not essential that the powder have thesame purity unless diffusion of the impurities into the forged opticalbody becomes a problem.

The size range of the crystal powder is critical since powders smallerthan 20 microns do not generally provide the desired controlled radialconstraint, while powders larger than about 200 microns present toogreat a void volume to permit accurate calculation of the amount ofpowder to be poured into the die around the crystalline mass to beforged.

The calculation of the amount of powder to be used is as follows:

If the desired diameter of the forged optical body is d_(f) and thediameter of the die cavity is d_(c), and the forged thickness (orheight) is h_(f), then the annular volume of the compacted crystalcluster (V_(c)) which peripherally surrounds the forged optical body is

    V.sub.c =π/4h.sub.f (d.sub.c.sup.2 -d.sub.f.sup.2)

If the density of the compacted crystal cluster is ρ_(c) and thisdensity is at least 99% of the density ρ_(o) of the optical body, or,99% of the density ρ_(f) of the forged optical body, since the densityof the forged body is identical with the density of the optical body,then

the mass of the crystal powder is 0.99 V_(c) ρ_(o) =0.99 V_(c) ρ_(f)

If the initial thickness (or height) h_(i) of a cylindrical ingot to beforged is 2h_(f) so as to give a deformation ratio of 2, then,

if d_(c) is from about 5% to about 30%, and more preferably from about10% to about 20% greater than d_(f), it will be evident that the surfaceof a mass 0.99 V_(c) ρ_(o) of discrete crystals, when pouredapproximately evenly into the annular space between the ingot ofdiameter d_(i) and height h_(i), will lie below the upper surface of theingot upon which the ram will rest. Though d_(c) may be more than 30%greater than d_(i) and yet be operable, it will be found that there areadditional complications introduced by unnecessarily large dies, and thegreater mass of crystals much of which is unnecessary waste. The mass ofcrystals used is thus correlatable to the annular volume of thecompacted crystal cluster; the mass of crystals transmits no forces tothe ingot in the first stage of the forging, and in the second stage,transmits force from the sidewalls of the die sufficient to constrainthe radially outward flow of the periphery of the forging mass.

The following illustrative examples will serve to illustrate theinvention.

EXAMPLE 1

An essentially single crystal cylindrical section of a macrocrystalingot of calcium fluoride having a diameter of about 4" (inches) and athickness of about 2.66" is centered in a cylindrical 7" diametercavity, on end, between a graphite coated ram and anvil of aconventional die assembly so that the crystal will be forged by a forceexerted in the 110 direction of the crystal. The die is placed in a750-ton hydraulic press and the die is surrounded by an electricallyheated furnace to raise the assembly to, and maintain it at, a desiredtemperature of about 750° C. A powder of ground CaF₂ crystal having asize in the range from about 70 to about 100 mesh, U.S. Standard SieveSeries, is poured around the ingot until the level of powder nearlyreaches that of the surface of the centered ingot.

The temperature of the die assembly is then raised gradually and isrecorded by a recorder controller in cooperation with a thermocoupleinserted in one of the die members. When the assembly reaches thedesired temperature, the press is started and commences to descendslowly, flattening the crystal at a rate of about 0.005"/min. When theram of the press has flattened the crystal to a thickness of about 1.5"the press is shut off, and the ram maintained in place while thetemperature is raised to 800° C. to anneal the forged crystalline mass.The annealing temperature of 800° C. is held for about 1 hour, afterwhich the temperature is allowed to drop at a rate of about 10° C./hruntil the entire assembly reaches room temperature. The forged crystalmass is then pushed out of the die cavity.

The forged crystalline mass removed from the die cavity is cleaned andfound to have a central portion which is polycrystalline and opticallyintegral. The central optically integral portion is separated by aninterface from a ring cluster of compacted crystals which is milky inappearance, and not optically integral. The optically integral portionis essentially free from fissures near the interface and shows nosurface or near-surface defects either at the peripheral surface or theupper and lower surfaces. The grain size near the periphery of theforged optical body has a size in the range from about 10 microns toabout 20 microns, and is smaller than the size of the grains near thecenter, which latter are in the size range from about 30 microns toabout 40 microns. The difference in grain size is smaller when theforging is effected just below the melting point of the ingot,particularly if the forging is at a very slow rate.

The transmittance of the CaF₂ ingot was measured before it was forged.The transmittance in the wavelength range from 0.3 micron to 7 micronswas higher than 90%. After the ingot was forged, it was polished and aportion conventionally mounted so that its transmittance could bemeasured. The transmittance in the range from 0.3 to 7.0 microns wasfound to be greater than 90%. This indicates that the optical integrityof the single crystal was maintained.

In an analogous manner, a polycrystalline section of calcium fluoridewhich has been cut from an extruded "log" of calcium fluoride is hotpress-forged in a two-stage forging peripherally surrounded by 80 meshCaF₂ powder, as above. Again, the central portion of the forged opticalbody is optically integral, while the periphery is not. As might beexpected, the radial gradation of grain size which is readily visiblewhen the single crystal ingot is forged, is not evident unless thepolycrystalline section starts with a very large grain size. Thetransmittance of the optical body before and after it is forgedindicates that there is no substantial change in the wavelength rangefrom 0.3 to about 7 microns.

EXAMPLE 2

An essentially single crystal cylindrical section of a macrocrystalingot of sodium iodide doped with about 0.07 weight percent thalliumiodide, having a diameter of about 8.5" and a height of about 4" iscentered in a die assembly having a 14" diameter barrel. The die isplaced in the 750-ton hydraulic press, and as before surrounded with anelectric furnace with appropriate controls. The surfaces of the ram andanvil of the die are covered with graphite cloth coated with graphite.About 4.7 lbs of sodium iodide powder having a size in the range fromabout 60 to about 80 mesh is poured around the ingot.

The temperature of the die assembly is gradually raised to 500° C. andmaintained at that temperature for a short time before the press isstarted, and the hot crystal is press-forged at a rate of about 0.005in/hr until the thickness of the forged crystalline mass is 2". Thedeformation ratio is 2. When the forged crystalline mass is annealed andcooled to room temperature, it is cleaned and polished. The surfaces ofthe clear central portion of the forged body are found to be free fromveiling and surface defects. The diameter of the forged clear centralportion is found to be about 12", and it is surrounded by a peripheralring of hot-pressed powder which is milky and non-optically integral.The central portion which is optically integral is separated from thenon-optically integral portion by an interface the diameter of whichvaries from about 11.75" to about 12.25". When the forged crystal ispolished at the interface it is seen that its peripheral surface is freefrom fissures and optically integral to the same extent as the rest ofthe body.

The density of the ring cluster of compacted crystals surrounding theforged optical body is 3.63. The resolution of the single crystal ingotis measured before it is forged, and found to have a relative pulseheight of 8.25. The resolution of the forged optical body is measured inthe same way and found to be 8.25, indicating there has been no changein the optical properties of the crystal due to the change of shape ofthe ingot, and the change from its monocrystalline form to apolycrystalline form. The density of the ingot is measured before it isforged and found to be 3.66. The density is similarly measured after theingot is forged and found to be 3.66, indicating there has been nochange in density.

In an analogous manner other hot press-forgings are carried out withother melt-grown scintillation macrocrystals, and also with extrudatesof such crystals, in each case surrounding the macrocrystal or extrudatewith a crystal powder having voids therewithin, the volume of the powderbeing equal to or less than the volume of the annular space. The tappedbulk density of the crystal powder in the annular space will generallybe in the range from about one-third to about one-half the density ofthe optical body. The press-forgings obtained were essentially free fromundesirable dislocations at or near all the surfaces of the forgedoptically integral body.

I claim:
 1. A two-stage process for hot press-forging an optical body,comprising,(a) maintaining said optical body at an elevated temperaturebelow its melting point in a die cavity so as to provide an annularspace therein, (b) peripherally surrounding said optical body with acrystal powder placed in said annular space, said crystal powderconsisting essentially of an inorganic material having essentially thesame coefficient of thermal expansion as that of said optical body, thevolume of said crystal powder being equal to or less than that of saidannular space, (c) gradually press-forging said optical body at saidtemperature between opposed spaced-apart surfaces in solid-to-solidcontact with opposed surfaces of said optical body, essentially freefrom contact with said crystal powder therebetween, (d) exerting, in afirst stage of said press-forging sufficient pressure on said opposedsurfaces to move one surface closer to the other so as to impart aradially outward essentially unconstrained movement of the peripheralsurfaces of said optical body, (e) transmitting, in a second stage ofsaid press-forging, sufficient force from walls of said die cavity tocompact said crystal powder and dynamically constrain radially outwardmovement of said peripheral surfaces, and (f) providing a deformationratio greater than 1 without changing the density of said optical body,so as to effect a change of its shape due to said press-forging and toobtain a forged optical body essentially free from surface defects andfissures near its periphery, yet maintaining its physical and opticalintegrity.
 2. The hot press-forging process of claim 1 wherein saidoptical body is selected from the group consisting of an ionic salt andan optical oxide.
 3. The hot press-forging process of claim 1 whereinsaid crystal powder is derived from the same material as said opticalbody.
 4. The hot press-forging process of claim 1 wherein saiddeformation ratio is in the range from about 1.2 to about
 10. 5. Theprocess of claim 2 wherein said ionic salt is selected from the groupconsisting of the alkali metal halides and the alkaline earth metalhalides.
 6. The process of claim 2 wherein said optical oxide isselected from the group consisting of magnesium oxide, bismuth germaniumoxide, cadmium tungstate, and lithium niobate.
 7. The process of claim 3wherein said crystal powder is in the size range from about 20 micronsto about 250 microns.